Audubofi^s Birds of America, 4 7 



these little creatures cannot be surpassed ; it would do honour 

 to the pencil of Rubens. The pencilling is such a perfect copy 

 of nature, that, although the attitudes are difficult, and per- 

 haps uncommon, we fancy we have seen them over and over 

 again. A little one in the fore-ground, immediately under its 

 mother, is particularly fine : it has laid itself on its side, and 

 raised one of its wings to catch a small A'carus or harvest bug 

 not yet lodged within the feathers; the head of this, and of 

 another pecking at a lady-bird, are admirable specimens of 

 foreshortening. I wish the plants had been engraved in a 

 different style from the other subjects, — they are too coarse; 

 but the etching of the infant progeny does great credit to Mr. , 

 Lizars's talents. 



Purple Grakles. (PI. 7. upright.) — As a composition this 

 is my chief favourite. The size of the birds and of the plant 

 has enabled the painter to group both in large and imposing 

 masses. The grakles are called, in America, maize-thieves, from 

 their destroying the Indian corn. Two of these birds are 

 here represented " in the fact : " one is clinging to an ear of 

 maize, from which it has extracted its seeds ; the other is 

 clearing away the outer husk of a fresh ear, having stripped 

 that on the left of all the best grains. The story is clearly 

 told ; and the grouping of the parts so judicious, as to pro- 

 duce a fine effect. 



The Bird of Washington, or Great American Sea Eagle. 

 (PI. 11.) — This noble figure is an upright, and occupies the 

 full size of the paper. It is standing in repose on a rock, 

 and nothing is introduced to take off from the simplicity of 

 the design, or the grandeur of the bird. If the passions 

 of the brute creation can be traced in their physiology, (and no 

 doubt they can,) we can discern as much of the mild dignity 

 of the great American patriot, in this his emblem, as j;9,ii 

 well be expressed in the head of a bird. j ^^i 



Baltiraore Orioles, (PI. 12.) — This is a sweet and h'^r-* 

 monious group. These gaily coloured birds, of a black and 

 orange-coloured plumage, have suspended their pensile nest 

 among the foliage of a tulip tree, whose broad leaves and 

 delicate flowers form an excellent contrast to the other colours. 

 The clinging of the female to the side of the nest, is most 

 happily expressed : it must have been a study from nature. 

 The upper figure of the male, just putting out his feet to alight, 

 shows a master's hand. This figure I look upon as the 

 " rightful lord*' just returned from an absence, during which 

 his mate has been insulted or persecuted by an intruder : 

 against him, but still clinging to her nest, is she defending 

 herself, when her partner comes to the rescue. The figure of 



